December 15, 2011. A U.S. military soldier walks past cables for media use before the start of a casing ceremony where the United States Forces - Iraq flag was retired, signifying the departure of United States troops from Iraq, at the former Sather Air Base in Baghdad, Iraq. United States forces are scheduled to entirely depart Iraq by December 31, there are currently around 4,000 troops remaining in Iraq.Mario Tama—Getty Images

December 15, 2011. A U.S. military soldier walks past cables for media use before the start of a casing ceremony where t